It was the fourth quarter. The Cavs were up by two. Donovan Mitchell was dancing at the top of the key, his jersey shimmering through the digital artifacts of a 480p stream. On the other end, Jayson Tatum was calling for the ball, his movements slightly blurred by a three-second lag.
Marcus hovered his mouse over the "Video 5" link like a bomb technician deciding which wire to cut. He knew the drill. Click once: a pop-up for a VPN. Click twice: a flashing ad for a casino. Click three times, right on the tiny "x" that was practically a single pixel wide, and— victory. It was the fourth quarter
Just as Tatum rose for a step-back three, the dreaded spinning circle appeared. The screen went black. Marcus frantically refreshed the page. He jumped back to the main VIPBox directory, dodging ads for "Hot Singles in Your Area" with the reflexes of an elite athlete. He clicked "Video 5" again. On the other end, Jayson Tatum was calling